HISTORY
The
real roots of Cliff Diving...
... are found at Kaunolu, on the Hawaiian Island of
Lana´i.
Back in 1770, Kahekili (1710 - 1794) the last independent king of Maui and chief of four islands was famous for
“lele kawa”, which in English means: Leaping off high cliffs and
entering the water feet first without a splash.
In order to prove
their courage and loyalty, Kahekili forced his nakoa (warriors) to follow
his example, jumping of the leap into the Royal Waters at Kaunolu.
One generation later, under King Kamehameha I, the
Hawaiians practiced "lele
kawa" in competition. Judgment was passed on the style of the dive
and the amount of splash on entry.
Kahekili's leap at Kaunolu has always
been regarded as holy, although the tradition of lele kawa became
forgotten for a long time.
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"lele kawa"
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"Nakoa on Kahekili's
Leap"
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"Royal Waters at
Kaunolu"
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August 2000
More than 200
years later, the Royal Waters at
Kaunolu were again the center of competitive cliff
diving, when the WHDF Cliff Diving World Championship
took place. Deeply affecting emotions
awaked,
when the modern competition sport met the ancient traditions.
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Myths from Acapulco
La Quebrada, or “The Break”, is the name of the
famous rock in Acapulco.
In 1934, the 13 year old Enrique Apac Rios jumped off
for the first time in history.
Several mortal injuries and exaggerated spot heights
have made a mystical tourist attraction out of a former
fishing village. In fact, the top level dive is 26.5
meters high, the lower level 21 meters. The rock profile
together with the shallow water (maximum 4 meters depth) are
making this jump extremely dangerous.
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